as she
greeted Mandleco.

Not so the young man who accompanied her. The escort was a person
Beardsley had never seen before, quite handsome and quite aware of it,
with an impudent world-wisdom centered about his sharp eyes. He turned
immediately to Mandleco with a bluster as phony as it was towering:

"This is an outrage, sir! A damned outrage! On Sheila's behalf I deplore
these tactics, and I question your right! Our entire afternoon perfectly
ruined...."

"Correction, darling," purred Mrs. Carmack. "You mean our perfect
afternoon entirely ruined." She turned smiling to the Minister of
Justice. "You really mustn't mind Victor."

"Hello, Sheila," Mandleco greeted her wanly. "I must apologize for the
inconvenience, but I assure you--"

"Oh, but this is thrilling! I mean really!" Mrs. Carmack was gazing
about ECAIAC's room with considerable more delight than suspicion, and
Beardsley watching her was thinking: _Thrilling! Can she really mean it?
She must surely be aware of ECAIAC's task for today--today of all
days...._

* * * * *

He glanced uneasily down the room, and saw that Jeff Arnold was much too
occupied to have noticed the newcomers. He gestured to Mandleco, who
finally took the hint and escorted the visitors into the privacy of the
office.

There Mandleco offered drinks, but the young man named Victor refused
his, preferring to maintain his air of injured dignity. Mandleco sighed
and gave an accusing look at Beardsley. "I know this is unusual," he
apologized to Sheila, "but I--uh--I _am_ rather hopeful that you may
find it entertaining!" He gave a slight sardonic emphasis to the last
word. "If you'll just bear with me until our other guest arrives."

Victor had been awaiting his chance. "Another? _Really!_ We're guests,
Sheila, do you hear that?" He looked at Mandleco with immense disdain,
gave a pert tilt of his head and surveyed the room with a grimace of
distaste. "And just how long are we to be detained in this--this--"

Beardsley's fist itched to splatter those handsome features around a
little. Instead he strode forward, said bluntly: "That'll do it, sonny!
Who the hell are you anyway?"

The handsome face sneered at him. "I am Victor d'Arlan! I am a good
friend of Sheila's--of the family," he corrected. "We were on our way to
the Concert when those--those _impertinent_ men detained us. To think we
must forego Perro's Fifth Color-Concerto for Sub-Chromatics in fav